Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (White) Review

The white wires suggest Etymotic Research wants a bigger piece of the iPod upgrade market. But rather than simply giving the black-wired ER-6 a cosmetic makeover, they designed the ER-6i from the ground up to work around portables' puny output. Thus, they offer higher sensitivity (more sound for a given volume setting) and boosted bass response.

But despite their light weight and sporty appearance, these phones are optimized for home listening, commuting, and plane trips; applications where sound isolation is a benefit, not a hazard. Compare them, therefore, to active noise-canceling headphones, not conventional earbuds.

FIT & COMFORT
Because these phones go in your ear canal and require an airtight seal, proper fit is essential. Without it, you will get no bass at all. None. I prefer the disposable foam ear tips to the 3-flange ones (both kinds are included). Your results may vary.

Here's the trick: After you compress the foam and insert them in your ears, it takes several seconds for the foam to expand. Focus on available background noise. When the sound drops suddenly over a second or two, you know a seal has been formed. Conversely, with music playing, you should notice the sound suddenly fill out, first in one ear and then the next.

The foam ear tips may feel uncomfortable for 2-3 minutes, but you quickly get used to them. This naturally depends on ear geometry and other factors, but be aware that you wouldn't buy these phones on comfort alone.

SOUND DAMPING
Properly inserted, the foam ear tips provide 34-36 dB noise reduction (the triple flanged ear tips are a few decibels less effective). To put this in perspective, this is even better than the 29-31 dB NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) provided by better-quality shooting ear muffs. They also quiet more than active noise canceling headphones (which feature feedback circuitry that noticeably degrades the sound).

With this level of damping, you may be aware that a TV is on in the same room, but just barely. You will also save your hearing because you won't feel the need to turn up the volume to drown out environmental noise.

The downside of this isolation is that you will miss doorbells, telephones, etc. Common sense argues strongly against using these jogging, bicycling, or even walking around city streets. You're giving up a sense entirely. The "look out, you idiot" you don't hear could be the "look out, you idiot" you absolutely, positively needed to hear.

SOUND QUALITY
Putting these phones through their paces with music I'm familiar with, the first thing that stood out was their neutral-to-bright balance. These are slightly more "forward" sounding than the more "laid back" or "polite" German headphones you might think of.

The second thing I noticed was that they get the midrange right. Without the response peaks, valleys or ripples that so often mar the critical 1,000 Hz. region, you will hear singers sound more "present" than with the vast majority of headphones (and most audiophile speakers for that matter).

If you are a bass junkie, you will find the bass lean. This is difficult to say, but it's not the headphones. It's you. You are addicted to heavy one-note bass (it's an epidemic - note how rental cars always have the bass at +10).Go cold turkey and listen with these for a week, however, and you will discover that there are actually, ahem, different bass notes.

As for treble, there are conventional open headphones (usually more expensive) with more "air" at the top end, but the ER-6i's treble extension is as good as sound-isolating headphones go - certainly better than the Bose. There's a minor response notch at 7 kHz, but nothing I really noticed.

BTW, don't be alarmed by their funny-looking frequency response curve. Remember, because they're in your ear, they are voiced to compensate for the missing frequency shaping ordinarily provided by your outer ear.

The sound damping has another beneficial effect: You will hear things in familiar recordings you have never heard before, even with high quality open headphones. Not just fingers over guitar strings, but sounds way, way down in the mix.

DESIGN & BUILD
These fingernail-sized phones are white with transparent side panels that reveal wires and the metal flanks of their balanced armature transducers.There is a small port topside, presumably for audio tuning, but perhaps also to reduce negative pressure caused by yanking the phones out (not a good idea - always remove them slowly). The front-facing side has the model number with a red dot separating the ER and 6i. The backs feature an oversized L and R, just like your first pair of sneakers.

The wires are lightweight, which is a more important factor on canal phones than with ear buds that allow the outer ear to bear the weight. The cord is a bit longer than some joggers might like, but then again, you shouldn't be using these jogging. The 1/8" headphone jack termination is gold-plated for long-term corrosion-resistance.

The removable shirt clip (included) should be used when practicable to avoid the sudden pressure on your eardrums that might result from yanking them out.

CONCLUSION
The ER-6i offers exceptionally involving, neutral sound for the money, with accurate bass and a commendably smooth midrange. I am also not aware of any headphones that provide better isolation from environmental noise. Recommended.

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Product Description:

The ER-6 Isolator Earphone reduce environmental sound levels 1520 dB, allowing you to hear the full range of todays digital recordings without having to play them at unnaturally high and unsafe levels. Since you do not have to boost the volume to overcome external noise, ear overload distortion is minimized.True high fidelity sound reproduction requires the reproduced sound to be as close as possible to the sound of a live performance. ER-6 Isolator Earphone is designed to match the acoustic response of the open ear.


Main Features
Manufacturer: Etymotic Research, Inc
Manufacturer Part Number: ER6I-C
Manufacturer Website Address: www.etymotic.com
Product Type: Earphone
Connectivity Technology: Cable 5 ft
Design Type: Ear-bud Binaural
Interfaces: 3.5mm Mini-phone Stereo
Color: White
Standard Warranty: 1 Year(s)

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Shure SE530 Sound Isolating Earphones Review

***** Initial review - September, 2007 *****

My first exposure to these headphones was through a friend at the office who purchased a set of Shure E500s about a year ago (the E500s are pretty much identical to the SE530s).When he told me (and the rest of us) how much he paid for them ($500+ for the E500PTHs) we collectively thought he was nuts and proceeded to ridicule the decision.

That was before we heard them.

I first heard the E500s when that same friend from the office was going to send his set back to Shure under warranty due to the wires cracking with part of the copper conductors exposed near the ear area.He figured he was getting a new set from Shure, so he may as well let us hear them.Well, I thought I was good with my Sennheiser CX300s.I was wrong.Really, really wrong.I put the SE500s through their paces with my Rio Karma loaded with tunes I personally ripped using CDEX and Lame at a high bitrate.I used material ripped from MFSL Ultradiscs, DCC and Sony Superbitmap discs as well as other good, dynamic recordings and remasters.I never knew IEMs could sound this good!The E500s were audio bliss!There were excellent highs, mids and lows, all crystal clear and accurate without distortion.One of the most amazing things about them was the soundstage.With good source material, I could hear different instruments as if they each had a direct line into my brain.You could easily hear the difference between good recordings and masterings and ones that are not so great.I was sold on the spot.To verify my new opinion, I had certain other guys at the office (who are also appreciative of quality audio) listen to them, and they were just as amazed.We all apologized.He let me borrow them overnight.That evening I listened to them on the train home and then literally went crazy listening to everything I could, including some 24-bit DVD audio on my home system.I listened to them all night.Broken wires or not, I did not want to return them the next day.

So in a nutshell, I loved them, but I could not justify spending the money on the SE530s ($430 at the time)...Here I thought my Sennheiser CX300s were good... errr.. but not SE530 good.Not even close.They were just not in the same league.

So I watched and waited here at Amazon and in about two weeks the price dropped $40 to $390.Alright, I had enough!That was my cue to buy!

That was a few weeks ago and I have no regrets.

The sound isolation is really good, easily blocking out most outside sound when using the supplied foams.Also, the foams are comfortable (for me) and I can leave them in for hours without fatigue.The result is that you tend to listen to the music at a slightly lower volume since the outside noise is so well blocked.But if you do want to crank it, the SE530s can handle it.I use them every day during my commutes on the train.They were definitely worth the money.

My only criticism (other than the price) is with the wires.The wires are too thick, heavy and stiff in my opinion.I wish they were more like the thin, light, extremely flexible silicon type wires like the ones on the Sennheiser CX300s.I don't know what Shure was thinking using these.As I said earlier in the review, my friend's E500's stiff wires were damaged after a year and I can see that happening with these too.Good thing the the SE530s have a two year warranty.I substituted the long extension that came with them with a highly flexible extension that came with a pair of Sonys... so much lighter and better.

Overall the wire situation is a small negative compared to a very big positive of the amazing sound reproduction.

One of the other reviewers here said it, don't listen to these headphones if you don't plan on buying them.If you love audio, once you listen through these SE530s, you cannot ignore them.

***** UPDATE: 10/9/2007 *****

I'm still amazed at just how good these sound.I've been using them every day during my daily rail commute to and from NYC from the suburbs.The isolation level they provide is amazing!Using the supplied foam ear pads, I can honestly say that it almost doesn't matter if the lady next to me starts yapping on her cell phone or if a group of tourists is having a loud conversation - I won't hear 'em.With these on, you are in your own world.You will notice some outside sound between songs or during very quiet passages, but for the most part, if you are using the foams and they are inserted correctly, you will be very well isolated.Highly recommended for commuters.The wires still suck though.

***** UPDATE: 7/30/2008 *****

Its been ten months since I purchased these SE530s and every day I use them, I'm glad I did.I use them on an almost daily basis during my rail commutes to and from the office and the sound quality has been nothing less than outstanding for both music and movies.The fact that you get all this clarity and resolution along with full bass AND that almost all outside noise is blocked makes them truly great.I cannot imagine better sounding headphones for any price.I have to laugh when I see people wearing bulky, full-sized headphones on the train - I would not want to to do that.

So, I've had no regrets regarding the investment... that is, until today.Today I noticed what I knew was inevitable... one of the wires has developed a crack in the insulation near the black molded rubber strain relief and has exposed the copper conductor beneath.Upon further inspection, the other wire is showing signs of imminent cracking in the same area.I have been so very careful as to only pull them out of my ears via the back of the drivers near the strain relief and frankly, I cannot imagine how I could have treated them any better and not had this happen.I know that I predicted that this *exact* thing would happen in my initial review (see above and in the comments section) but it sucks now that it actually did.I still cannot understand how Shure could be using these stiff, inflexible, poorly performing wires on an otherwise fine set of super-premium earbuds.Now I have to return them under warranty for replacement.I called Shure and they want me to ship the 530s back to them, insured, with my proof of purchase from an authorized dealer (which Amazon is) along with their RMA form and I should see a replacement in *TWO WEEKS,* maybe more.TWO WEEKS?For $400+ headphones I expect better service than this.They will not cross-ship me a new pair either as they are "not set up" to do that.Shipping them back will likely cost me at least $20 with the insurance.

The worst part of this is that I fully expect that I'm going to receive a brand new pair with the same issue waiting to happen again over the course of normal use.I know this because my friend from the office, who originally introduced me to the Shures, is now on his... get this... *FIFTH PAIR* of SE500/530s - as four sets have developed the same exact wire cracking issue within a period of only two years.I did some poking around on the internet and there are even other reviews here on Amazon that detail the *exact* same issue.WTF is Shure thinking?I can walk down the street to any electronics store and buy a $30 set of buds with wire that will not have this issue... how is it that a $400+ super-primo set does?You can't tell me that other people aren't returning them... FIX THE ISSUE WITH THE WIRES, SHURE!!!

I'll update this review again when I receive my replacement pair.

***** UPDATE: 4/21/2009 *****

I swapped out for a new pair of SE530s in December, 2008 - I'm not going into the mechanics of that, but I didn't go through Shure.The wire on this pair is definitely different than the wire on my first pair.It is a bit more flexible and a tad thinner.I know with the first pair, I predicted immediately that the wires would fail in the exact manner in which they eventually did fail.With this wire, it's more difficult to predict the longevity.It certainly feels a bit better, but I'm apprehensive to call the issue fixed.I've had this pair for about five months now and there are no signs of the cracking issue yet.The sound quality is still phenomenal and based on that alone, I think you will not be disappointed.As a side note, my coworker sent yet another pair back as the black rubber strain relief separated from the body on his left speaker.You cannot reattach it.I can see how that could happen, but so far I have no similar issue.

***** UPDATE: 9/28/2009 *****

In July I purchased a new 32gb Cowon S9 to replace my aging Rio Karma.The audio output quality of the S9 is truly excellent and the Shure SE530s together with the S9 sound amazing!But now the rubber strain relief on my left bud is separating, just like it did on my co-worker's pair back in April.This doesn't affect the sound at all, but it looks bad and since the wire strain relief is no longer functioning, the wire is SHURE to suffer.This is disappointing as I've only had this pair (my 2nd) for nine months.This kind of thing just shouldn't happen to super-premium, pricey IEMs.Since I've been very careful with them and research shows that these issues are common with the 530s, I know it's not due to mishandling or abuse.My two years of experience with them has shown that the 530s are super delicate and if you use them regularly, no matter how hard...Read more›

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Product Description:
Pure audio precision--the SE530 uses Triple TruAcoustic MicroSpeakers to create an expansive sound stage. A dedicated tweeter ensures that highs and mids are incredibly accurate and detailed, while dedicated dual woofers provide balanced, full-bodied bass. The Push-To-Hear Control (included with the SE530PTH) adjusts levels of external sound for maximum intelligibility.

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Sennheiser MX-400 In-Ear Headphones Review

I just got a couple of these for my two daughters.They have the same sound as the MX-500.Considering that the cord is only 3 ft. long, and just about anything you hook it up to is likely to have a volume control, a volume control on the cord is pretty redundant.

In fact, the other day, I had the MX-500s plugged in for a long time, and then forgot that there was a volume switch in the cord.As the day wore on, I couldn't quite figure why the sound volume was dropping.It was only later that I realized that the volume switch had accidentally gotten bumped down.

So save a buck or two and get the MX-400 instead of the MX-500s.

I've already reviewed the MX-500 earbuds - I'll just repeat a few points about the MX-400, since these are the same earbuds:If you are a Sennheiser fan, these earbuds have that classic Sennheiser sound - a rich, ringing clarity in the mids and highs, and no excessive bass boost.Like all non-sealing earbuds, the bass is variable and gets louder the more tightly the earbuds are coupled against the earholes.How tightly you get them to fit depends on your ear anatomy really.

As for getting them to stay in place, I discovered that the best way was to wear them upside down and loop the wires around the back of my ears and under my chin.

An alternative way to wear these earplugs, much more discrete, but also a bit less secure, is to loop the wires over the ears and around the back of your neck, like sunglass straps.A small paper clip to the back of your collar will hold the wires in place and you can run the cord around inside your shirt.

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Product Description:
Boasting increased bass response and SPL output, Sennheiser's MX400 in-ear headphones sport a glossy black finish with silver print and chrome accents. The MX400 comes complete with a convenient black pocket-sized cord-windup carrying box. The headphones have a frequency response of 18 to 20,000 Hz and a total harmonic distortion of less than 1 percent.
Sennheiser provides a two-year parts-and-labor warranty for the MX400.

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